Remember that when you have a word problem to solve, the first step is to decide which information is needed and which is not. The next step is to decide which operation or operations you will need to solve the problem. For some problems, you may need more than one step. You may also need more than one operation.

For example, suppose you have the following problem to solve:

Carlos had $10 to spend on school supplies. He went to the corner store after school with his friend Josh. Josh had $15 to spend. Carlos needed a notebook, a pen and some pencils. Here is the price list for school supplies: